The End of the Beginning.

Two things were widely known all over Equestria. One: Celestia, Luna, Cadence and, now, Twilight Sparkle were immortal. Two: The sun rose in the west and set in the east. Through some magical fluke, Twilight Sparkle’s friends lives were all extended as well. No one quite knew how, some speculated it was their connection to the Elements of Harmony while still others speculated it was because their connection to Twilight affected them as well. These two facts are why, during an annual event planned every year by Celestia and Luna known as The Eclipse, the citizens of Equestria fell into a panic. The Eclipse went off without a hitch, nothing unplanned happening.

And then the moon exploded. It didn’t appear to truly explode, per say, but cracks appeared across the entire surface of it, which sunlight poured through. It was then split into, by the count of several astronomers, twenty pieces. Following the explosion of the moon, the Sun went through its own change. Normally, it was a bright, vibrant, beacon of hope and joy to all of Pony life on Equestria. As the citizens watched, their bright yellow sun darkened ever so slowly until it was a dull reddish color. Immediately following the darkening of the sun and the explosion of the moon, several bursts of light appeared all over Canterlot, the Crystal Empire, and Ponyville.

Ponies started panicking, as they are wont to do when their very lively hoods are threatened. Farmer ponies searched through books in libraries about a possible way to save their produce now that it would go without the bright glow of the sun, now reduced to a dull red. Almost the color of dried blood, some said. Pegasi conferred with other members of society, getting a unanimous vote to lay a protective and nourishing fog over the surface of the planet. Give the plants the water they would need to survive, as well as keep ponies from going without the sun forever by closing the sky, as had been requested by several nobles of Cloudsdale and other Pegasus cities.

Unicorns searched through books upon books about ways to alter plants and other resources to survive under the altered light. But behind the mass panic and searches for ways to survive, dangers crawled out of the depths of Equestria. In Canterlot, several ponies had been forced to lock and bar their doors with tables, chairs and wardrobes to keep creatures that looked like twenty foot tall ponies with tentacles from breaking into their homes. Manehatten had been overrun with monsters. There was no other way to describe the creatures flying among the buildings. Fleshy colored monstrosities with four spindly legs and bug wings.

Appleoosa and other smaller towns had been abandoned, forced to flee into the mountains and hide among their neighbors as serpentine like monstrosities crawled out of mine shafts. In Ponyville, the doors and windows had been barred with iron. Any kind of iron ponies could get ahold of. Kitchen knives, fire place pokers, anything made of iron had been placed across windows and doors, keeping the monsters that had crawled out of the Everfree forest at bay. It seemed to work, though Twilight couldn’t figure out how. No one could. And that was the problem. Even her books didn’t have information on these creatures.

Hearing someone pounding at the door to her castle, Twilight cast a spell so she could see through the wood. Her castle was protected by a magical barrier, erected by the two remaining princesses, to keep anything that wasn’t pony, griffin, critter, dragon, or changeling out. On the other side of the door, supporting a badly wounded Big Macintosh, was Cheerilee and Applejack. Throwing the door open, Twilight let them lead Big Mac into the foyer. Closing the doors, the princess turned around and let out a hiss as she took in Big Mac’s injuries. One of his legs had been torn off at the shoulder, the bleeding staunched by a piece of cloth that had, at one point, been white. Applejack had lost her hat somewhere between the castle and Sweet Apple Acres.

“What happened?” Nurse Redheart asked as she wheeled over a stretcher. One of Twilight’s bedrooms had been turned into an impromptu hospital after Ponyville General had gone up in flames.

“Ah dunno. We did as ya asked and went t’ the farm t’ try and gather supplies. One secon’ we were doin’ jus’ fine, the next, this… thing… erupts outa the ground and tears muh brother’s leg right off. He’s gonna be ok, isn’ he?” Applejack asked, her twang coming on heavily in her panic to make sure her brother was alright.

“He’ll be fine. You got him here just in time. It’s unfortunate we can’t save the leg…” Redheart said as she and the nurses wheeled Big Mac into the dining hall. It had been made into an impromptu hospital as well. There just wasn’t enough room in only one room for all of the injured ponies. Twilight looked at Applejack, whose head was hanging, her mane out of its usual tie and hanging around her shoulders.

“He’ll be ok, Applejack. Big Mac’s strong.” She said and Applejack nodded.

“Ah just wish Rainbow were here… Ah know she didn’ abandon Ponyville withou’ a reason… what with the Wonderbolts needin’ her help in Cloudsdale, but Ah’d feel better if Ah knew she was safe too.” The farm girl said and Twilight nodded as Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy walked over. Understandably, the normally bubbly mare was subdued. After all, her families Rock Farm had been destroyed when Holders Boulder had exploded, releasing… something. The only ones to escape were her mother and her sister, Marble. Her father and other sister were gone.

“What is it…?” Twilight asked and Pinkie looked up, tears staining her cheeks. “Oh no… Mrs. Cake…?” Pinkie nodded and Twilight threw her forelegs around her friend. Mrs. Cake had been gravely injured when she and her kids had been escaping from Sugarcube Corner. Mr. Cake had stayed behind to give them time to get away.

“I did everything I could… even Zecora… but we couldn’t bring her out of her last attack…” Fluttershy said, blood staining her normally pristine pink mane. Applejack limped over to Fluttershy and threw her good hoof around the shy mare’s shoulders.

“How’s Zecora holding up?”

“She’d be doing better if her home and herbs weren’t gone… she says she’d be able to make remedies that would fix ponies up good as new if she had some of them…” Twilight sighed and looked out the nearest window leading towards the Everfree Forest. Two Pegasi had flown in that direction only a few hours ago, Flitter and Cloud Kicker. They still hadn’t come back. Walking with her three friends to the kitchens to get Applejack something to eat, Twilight heard a knocking at the door. Gesturing for them to go on ahead, she turned around and walked back. Using her spell to peek through the door, she didn’t see anyone. Blinking, she pulled the door open a crack and froze. As if a spell had been cast on her. Panic rose in her heart as she feared a Cockatrice had gotten through her barrier, but she didn’t feel herself turning to stone. Instead, the creature standing in front of her pushed the door open, gently easing her away from it.

When it had gotten into the castle, Twilight’s eyes widened. It was an Alicorn. A massive white Alicorn with a mane that looked to be made of the sun itself. His wings were held tight against his sides, and every feather seemed to shift as if they were burning. His tail flowed like his mane, both of which gave off heat. Behind him, another Alicorn strode in. This one was much like Princess Luna, only taller, with a mane darker than the Night Princess’ and seeming to contain more stars. “Tell me, where is Twilight Sparkle?” The Alicorn with the starry mane asked and all of the Ponies who had come to investigate pointed to the, still frozen, Princess staring at the open door.

As soon as the two Alicorns turned, Twilight found she could move again. Spinning quickly, she ignited her horn. Or at least attempted to. When her magic failed her, her eyes widened again and she looked at the large male. His eyes were focused on her and his horn was lit, glowing with magic far stronger than Celestia’s. “You know what happened.” The female said and Twilight shook her head. “Hm… pity. It seems you were wrong again dear.” She said and the glow around the male’s horn disappeared. Twilight nearly fell on her face as she was able to move again.

“Not possible Umbra. I am never wrong.” He said as Twilight raced around him and stood with her friends. “The broken moon, the darkened sun. Something has happened to our daughters.”

“Solas, is it not possible that, for once in our infinite lives, you are wrong about this?” she asked and he huffed, flames blowing out of his nostrils. Twilight blinked. He’d mentioned daughters. In the same breath as the moon and sun. Stepping forward, she cleared her throat slightly and both Alicorns turned to look at her.

“You… mentioned your daughters… and the sun and moon… do you mean… Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?” She asked and the mare smiled and nodded.

“Yes dear. And your name is…?” She asked and Twilight looked up at her. She seemed the more reasonable of the two.

“Twilight Sparkle… ma’am.” The mare smiled again and nodded.

“I am Queen Umbra. This is my husband, King Solas. The original commanders of the Sun and Moon.” She said

“Until you passed your powers on to Luna… and forced me to give mine to Celestia…” her husband scoffed and she shot him a glare that would have frozen Twilight’s blood. He just snorted and looked out the door at the creatures trying to tear through the shield spell.

“We would not have returned from our respective celestial bodies if Celestia and Luna were still well… do you know what has happened?” Queen Umbra asked and Twilight shook her head.

“No… your majesty… And I’m worried… Celestia and Luna are my friends…”

“Royalty doesn’t make friends…” King Solas scoffed and Umbra shot him another glare.

“Celestia was training me… it’s thanks to her that I became an Alicorn…” Twilight said and Umbra smiled.

“And it was quite the feat. Completing my student’s spell the way you did. Who would have thought all it took to complete Starswirl’s spell was an understanding of friendship and the nuances that come with it…” She said and Twilight blinked.

“Clearly not your prized Student…” Solas said and Umbra glared at him again.

“It took this young mare to complete a spell that even we had trouble with, dear husband. Give her some credit.” She said and the king looked down his nose at Twilight before nodding. She assumed that was the best she was going to get from him.

“Your highness… do you know what’s happening?” Twilight asked and Umbra sighed and turned to look out the window, directly at the sun. Everypony could look at it now.

“Unfortunately, yes. The moon’s destruction, the dying sun… it could mean only one thing…” She said and Solas scoffed.

“Two things, dear wife. The first of which we could handle if Celestia and Luna were still here.” He said and Umbra turned and glared at him, her mane and tail flaring wildly and seeming to emanate lightning. Seeing the look on his wife’s face, Solas backed away.

“It is your fault, husband, that my daughters are dead!” Umbra shouted and a bolt of lightning struck close to Solas’ hoof. Her words struck home for Twilight. Hearing it from the former ruler of the night made her stumble and fall on her rear. Seeing this out the corner of her eye, Umbra turned and looked at Twilight, her mane and tail calming. “Oh dear… you did not know…?”

Shaking her head, Twilight stared at the ground as ponies began to gather in the central chamber of her castle. Her eyes widened and blurred with tears as the realization washed over her. Her friend Luna. Her mentor Celestia. Dead. “I am so sorry Twilight… I wish we had time to allow you to grieve, but we do not. With my daughter’s gone, the Sun and Moon are damaged and must be repaired. As it has been over five thousand years since this need has arisen, I am no longer capable of bearing children powerful enough to command the Sun and Moon.”

“But we may know of someone who is.” Solas said and Twilight looked up at him. She seemed to catch on to what he was saying as she slowly rose to her hooves and sniffled.

“Before we ask you to seek them out… we must tell you why the Sun and Moon are important. Beyond just bringing light to Equestria during the day and lulling ponies to sleep at night. And to do that, we must tell you a bit of a story. One you may not have heard before.”